US President Donald Trump welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House on Tuesday, with both leaders vowing to deepen economic ties and expand Iraq's oil output. Trump, who effusively praised al-Zaidi as someone with "tremendous potential" for regional leadership, promised "a lot of deals" and said the two men shared "tremendous chemistry" — a rapport he attributed to their parallel backgrounds as wealthy businessmen who entered politics without prior experience. Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said his visit's primary aim was to announce a formal "economic partnership" between the two countries.
A centrepiece of the visit is an energy agreement expected to be signed on Friday between Iraq, US firms Chevron and TI Capital, and Qatar's UCC for the construction of a major oil pipeline. The pipeline would run from the southern port city of Basra to Haditha in western Iraq, and onward to Turkey's Ceyhan port and Syria's Baniyas coast, with a projected capacity of roughly 2 million barrels of oil per day. Iraq, home to the world's fifth-largest oil reserves and 48 million people, has long sought to diversify its export routes and attract foreign investment into its energy sector. Al-Zaidi, who took office as a consensus candidate after months of political deadlock following last year's parliamentary elections, has already signed several contracts with American energy companies in his first weeks in government.
The meeting was shadowed by the question of Iran's deep influence inside Iraq. The country shares a nearly 1,000-mile border with Iran and hosts a network of Iran-backed militias, some of which launched attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities after a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began in February. The Iraqi government has set a deadline of 30 September for non-state armed groups to disarm, though some of the most powerful militias have openly refused. Al-Zaidi stated firmly on Tuesday that there would be "no justification" for their existence after that date. A Trump administration official indicated the US would make "informed" decisions based on Iraq's actual progress on disarmament. Analysts caution, however, that the challenge is formidable: if Baghdad moves aggressively against these groups, the militias could turn on the government itself.
Trump played a direct role in al-Zaidi's rise to power. He threatened to cut off US support for Iraq if a candidate he considered too close to Tehran — former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki — returned to the premiership. Al-Zaidi, sometimes dubbed the "Trump of the Middle East" for his business background and political outsider status, has since launched a high-profile anti-corruption drive that resulted in the arrest of nearly 50 current and former officials and the reported seizure of $100 million in cash and assets. Experts note, however, that al-Zaidi was ultimately chosen by Iraq's existing political infrastructure and will remain constrained by it.
Beyond the bilateral agenda, Tuesday's meeting reflects a broader, if fragile, moment for Iraq. Nine years after an American-led coalition helped expel the Islamic State from the country's northwest, signs of social and civic renewal are emerging — from cultural associations in Mosul to a skate park in Baghdad and the country's first MBA graduates at the American University of Iraq. A stable Iraq, free of extremist and Iranian influence, could eventually serve as a secure overland trade corridor linking Gulf states through Syria and Turkey to European markets — a prospect that gives Washington and its regional partners strong incentive to invest in the country's future.